


Take My Breath Away

by taika_akagod_waititi



Category: Red Dead Redemption
Genre: Abuse, Eventual Smut, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Mentioned Abuse, Soft Arthur, and caring, he soft, mentioned rape
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2018-12-14
Packaged: 2019-09-06 04:09:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16824859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taika_akagod_waititi/pseuds/taika_akagod_waititi
Summary: Clara is captured by O'Driscolls after hunting them down for so long. After a few months, she is stumbled upon by a gang out for revenge.





	1. O'Driscolls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clara meets some okay people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have the feels for Arthur. He is such a great character and I felt the need to write this. This is short, so please forgive me.
> 
> My personal tumblr: taika-akagod-waititi  
> Red Dead Tumblr: reddeadrawme

The winter was harsh for everyone. Animals were in hibernation, there were none to be found while hunting, and provisions were low. Everyone's moods were terrible and on edge. Each man that passed by Clara always had a look, a comment, or a kick to give her. She was kept outside by a fire, which was considerate, but she was tied to a pole and she had thin clothing on. Her shirt was made for riding in the warmer weather, her pants were worn out from laying on the ground, and her socks had holes as well. 

"What are we doing with her anyway?" A rough voice that had been abused by cigarettes echoed in the wind. Clara turned her head slightly to it. "She killed several of our men and has been here longer than any other prisoner. Is Colm taking sympathy on a woman? Is he growing soft and feeling bad about killing her family?"

Another voice came through. This one was higher, but smooth. "Well, we could always show her what we do with people who make us angry."

"Haven't we done that? Every time I pass her, I kick her and spit on her. Sometimes when I'm feeling up to it, I'll bring her back to my tent." 

"Yes, but she hasn't given up yet. I've seen her face before on wanted flyers. She was hunting us down for a few years, so she is determined to live." 

The other laughed, "I think we should throw her in the river. It'll be a sight to see."

"No, no, we need to scare her. She's seen enough killin', so lets show her more gruesome killing. _Our_ style." 

Clara turned her head back. She did not want to learn the details of her death. A shiver ran down her back as she lay on the cold ground. A few tears slipped down her cheeks. Clara's adopted family had been so good to her. They owned a farm, took people in that needed care, and went to church every Sunday. Her family before, that she remembers nothing of, were apart of a gang that were rivals with Colm. Colm had every man, woman, and child killed from the gang. They recently found her 2 years ago and murdered her adoptive family. Clara became angry and seeked revenge for her family. The O'Driscolls couldn't keep up with her for a while, but she made a mistake and let her guard down once. 

Heavy steps stopped in front of her. To turn her head to her captors would cause her to cry, so she stared at the soft snow. 

"Does little miss want to go for a ride?" A few men chuckle around her. Clara huffed, but did not turn to them. "Oh, don't turn so shy now. I promise this ride won't hurt. It'll be on an actual horse, you just may not like the ending." More laughs erupted.

"Hey bitch, he's talking to you." Another voice commented as steps drew closer to her. A rough cold hand that smelled of shit grabbed her neck and lifted her. Clara's legs dangled below her as she tried to breathe. 

"Why don't you answer the questions?" 

Clara tried to kick, but with her hands tied, it was unsuccessful. The man slapped her and dropped her into the snow. His boot came up to her throat and pushed down. 

"Well, I guess we will take that as a yes." His hand had become a fist and connected to her face. Clara was knocked out and they laughed at her once more. "I would offer her to anyone, but boss says we have to take her with us on a little mission."

* * *

Screams and gun shots filled Clara's ears as she lay somewhere warm. Her head pounded as she came in and out on consciousness. Rope was tied around her wrists as she felt her surroundings. A warm blanket was beneath her, her feet were bare, and the smell of a cigarette made her head hurt. Voices carried around her and every now and then someone would shove her shoulder. Eventually, she could stay awake long enough to roll over. 

The bed she was on was thin, so it groaned against her weight. The man standing at the windows turned to look down at her while his partner walked closer to her. 

"Don't even think about running." He didn't seem amused as he talked in a low voice. Something must have gone wrong. One hand was on his revolver and the other lifted a finger to her lips. He took a step back and turned towards his partner. If she listened carefully, she could hear two voices outside. It was hard to make out what they were talking about, but she knew it wasn't good. Clara took a look around the room as best as she could without hurting her neck. A body was covered in blood across form her. Two bullet holes were visible in his head and chest. 

"What do you reckon they are doing out there?"

"Well I hope he's trying to scare him off, but it seems as if he is stubborn. This mission to scare her isn't going as planned. First, she won't wake up and now this fucker shows up." 

A gunshot rang out and the two men rushed to take cover.

"If they come in, they will see her first, so stay put." One whispered to other. A few more gunshots and shouts echoed into the night. Someone from the outside walked up the stairs and shoved the door open. Their plan went to fault because the man that barged in started to fire at the men both hiding. Bullets flew towards the man and back at them, but none came close to her. One man went down in a scream and the other ran over to her. He grabbed her by the back of the neck and cocked his revolver, but before he could fire, he went down with a bullet to the head. Clara took one look at the man before she passed out. 

* * *

"She looks familiar. I think I have seen her on a few Wanted Posters before." 

"What do we do Dutch?"

.

"Well now we have two more mouths to bring back to camp. Pearson will be pissed."

"Fuck Pearson, these women need our help. Now dear, can you tell me your name?"

"M-Mrs. Adler."

"Mrs. Adler, have you seen woman before?"

"No, I have not."

"So why the hell is she here? We can't keep her, we already have too many."

"Micah, not now. We need to get them back to camp."

.

"She has a mild case of frost bite on her toes, possibly a concussion, and a broken rib. Also, there are lacerations from a whip on her back."

"Can you help her Strauss?"

"I can, but what is so important about her?"

"We think this is the person that has been killing many O'Dricolls for the past few years. I want to know what she knows about them." 

"Well, whatever hell they put her through, I think it has finally taken a large toll on her. She needs rest."

.

Clara dreamed of being home with her family as she rest on a cot. The warmth of the fire felt good against her back and the cool cream that was put on soothed her aches. Whomever was taking care of her was very gentle. They would always praise her for turning or would comfort her when she would cry out. 

After resting for a few days, she finally gained full consciousness back. When she first woke, her back did not scream in protest, so she swung her feet over the cot and onto the floor.

"Woah, Miss. You need to slow down there." A female voice came closer and a hand touched her shoulder. Clara looked up to see a lady with dark hair helping her. "We don't need ya tumbling down to the floor just yet." Clara gave a slow nod.

"How-" She cleared her throat, "How long have I been out?" 

"Oh, about 3 days. You needed the rest. Whatever them varmints did to you wore you out. The rest did you good." She smiled down at her before turning to grab a bowl. "Now, eat up before they come in here to bombard you with questions."

"Questions?" Clara took the bowl from her. 

"Yes, but I mustn't say more." Another warm smile formed as she sat down across the room. 

"Thank you Miss-"

"Grimshaw. And you are welcome." 

Silence and small slurps filled the room. After she was done with her bowl, Miss Grimshaw grabbed another bowl for her and left the little cabin. By the time she finished the second bowl, three men came into the cabin. They came in quietly. 

"Miss Clara, my name is Dutch Van der Linde. We were the men that found you at the hands of the O'Dricolls. Would you mind telling us why you were with them?"

Clara looked at each of the men. The one talking was gentle, the one to his left looked pissed, and the one to the right had a neutral look on his face. 

"Since you know my name, you must know why then." 

Dutch chuckled. "Yes, but we want to hear it from you so we know you are not lying. So, Miss Clara, why were you with the O'Driscolls?" 

Clara shifted on the cot and hugged the blanket closer to her. This is when she noticed that she had on long skirt and a shirt that smelled of lavender. It hung loosely on her frame from all the weight she had lost. 

"Speak girl. I'm getting restless here." Dutch turned around the man. 

"Micah, that is no way to speak to a woman."

"Dutch I-," Micah started.

"No, we are going to be respectful. We don't know what she's been through, so she might need a little time. Miss Clara here has no idea who we are and why she is here."

Clara was silently thanking Dutch. She fiddled with the skirt before speaking. "My name is Clara, as you know, but I should start how I stumbled upon some O'Driscolls." As she spoke, all three men had different expressions. Dutch was concerned and concentrated, Micah was bored and every now and then chimed in a "bullshit", which got on to Clara. The third man just stared at her, or so she thought as his hat was kept down, except when Micah made a comment, he would glare at him. The last two times, he hit his elbow.

When she was finished, she ended it with, "I will be willing to give you any information on those bastards."

Micah said, "So how can you be the woman that killed off, supposedly, over 100 O'Driscolls and you can barely talk to us. Aren't you supposed to be some kind of hero and tough woman?" 

This really itched at Clara and pushed her far enough. Dutch had started to say something, but she interrupted him. "You know what cocksucker, why don't you have some respect. I have been taken into men's tents, whipped, beaten, spat on, and degraded for the past 3 months. Do you have any idea what it is like to have the people that killed your family do that to you? No, so shut your fucking mouth or I will do it for you."

Micah opened his mouth, and then shut it. The third man looked over at him and smirked, but kept his head down. Dutch walked closer to Clara to lend her a hand. Clara didn't even realized she had risen from the bed as she became frustrated. 

"Ah, she can stand. That is a good sign that your back is healing." Dutch helped her sit back down on the cot. "But you still must rest. I will return to my cabin and discuss this with the others. Arthur here will stay outside your cabin if you need anything." Clara smiled gently over to the third man, Arthur. He gave a short nod and opened the door for the other two men. Dutch said goodbye as Micah just grunted. 


	2. Spring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clara gets to know the gang better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The meeting of a few characters is brief. I want to be brief since the game was brief about the winter weather.

Clara sat on her cot, but made no attempt to fall asleep. The wind was howling outside as more snow came down. The blanket was wrapped tightly around her as she picked up a book near by. The title was worn, but the pages were in good shape. It smelled of tobacco as Clara set it in her lap and began to read. The story was on an old widow who cam across a young man in need of help. The young man tricked the old woman into giving all her belongings to him. In the end, he was cursed by the old widow and turned to stone. It must have taken her a few hours because the sun had gone down and the wind had calmed. She put the book down where she found it and slowly stood up from the bed. 

Clara took slow steps towards the door as her back protested against her. When her hand touched the handle, she jerked away at the sudden cold metal. The blanket was then wrapped around her hand as she tugged open the door. Cold air rushed in and Arthur turned around. 

"Ma'am, I know you probably don't like being cooped up, but you need to rest." 

"Well, what are you doing out here then?" Arthur looked from one side of the cabin to the next and then behind him.

"I'm keeping watch, so if you need anything..."

"Well, I'm quite alright. Why don't you come in? It's too damn close to spring for you to try and freeze your balls off." This earned her a smile from him. 

"Yes ma'am." Arthur took one last look around and ducked inside. Clara moved out of his way and let him settle in. There was a chair near the fire that was old and rickety. It held Arthur's broad frame, even as he leaned back. 

"So, what did they decide? Spare me or kill me?" 

Arthur sighed and took his hat off slowly. "Micah was the only one who disagreed to bring another person into camp, but we all agreed that you might become a big help to our gang."

"Gang? Wow, I feel honored to be able to not have a choice."

Arthur chuckled. "You may leave, but we would like your help since we saved you."

Clara sat down on the cot, facing Arthur. "I guess I do owe you all a great deal." 

Clara and Arthur sat in silence for a little while. Arthur stared at the fire as he leaned back in his chair as Clara cuddled up in the corner of the cot that was against the wall. 

"Now, I must ask, I'm guessing I have taken someone's cot, so who do I owe their bed back to?" Clara asked as she brought the blanket closer to her.

Arthur looked up at her and leaned forward. He grabbed a log from the side of the fire place. "Well, you actually have mine." Before Clara could protest, he continued, "If I was in the same position, I would want something comfortable to rest my back against. I will be happy to sleep on the floor as I am used to it." 

"Then as soon as my back is better, you can kick me out."

* * *

Arthur never did kick her off of his cot. A week went by and she could walk, sit and stand just fine. Each night Arthur would come in and sit at the chair in front of the fire. Clara might be reading a book, sleeping, sewing, or writing. Sometimes they would talk, other times they would sit in comfortable silence. Eventually sleep would call for the both of them and Arthur would take his spot on the bed roll on the ground. Clara tried to get him to take his bed back the first few nights her back was better, but he declined and she gave up. 

Dutch had some around a few times to ask about the O'Driscolls'. 

"Miss Clara, you seem to be doing well."

"Well all thanks to you and your gang, I am alive. I really do appreciate you saving me."

"It's always nice to be able to add a helping hand and gunslinger." Dutch was sitting where Arthur would by the fire. Clara smiled and looked down at the ground. She was on the edge of the cot with her feet on the ground and her hands in her lap. 

"I do know that Colm, like you said, was going to be hunting your gang down after the snow had melted. He's going to bring a lot of men, but if you had moved, Colm was going to use me as an example of why you don't test his patience. So the town of Valentine was where he was going to perch a lot of his men for the show. Now that you have me, I don't think he will be in Valentine. There might be hideouts around the area waiting for you."

Dutch nodded and looked into the fire. "Damn Colm. He's always making everything shit for us."

"I don't know why he kept me alive, Dutch. There has to be a reason. It might have been my real parents had something to do with his gang, but he kept me alive for too long. There were other men and one woman that were there when I was. They didn't last two weeks before they were killed." A quiet pause lay between them. "I-I might be a liability to your gang. I can help, but Colm might want me more than he wants you."

"That may be good then. If he has two people he wants in the same gang working together, he might be shitting his pants." Dutch smiled and stood. "This might just work, Clara." He looked down at her and set a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you Clara."

When the sun rose, Clara would go and help Pearson make food for the camp, then help Abigail with chores, and then play with Jack before lunch time. After lunch time, she would go out and pick berries to eat since there were not animals to be found. Javier or Charles would go with her and in which they would kill any animals they saw along their trip. 

When the weather was starting to warm up, Charles had found deer tracks on one of their trips.

"Have you ever tracked a deer, Miss Clara?" 

Clara stood up from where she was and glanced over, "If you are going to ask me to kill it, that's fine, but don't ask me to skin it. I'm awfully bad at it." 

Charles smiled. "Why don't you show me your hunting skills then?"

Clara took the bow and arrows from Charles and they both followed the path of hoof prints in the snow and mud. The mix of snow and mud made a crisp vegetation smell. Every now and then a rustle would come from near by, but it was always a small animal. Charles pointed out other tracks and how to find a lost trail. Eventually they came upon a buck grazing on a small patch of grass. When Clara looked back at Charles, he nodded for her to continue. She raised her bow and arrow to pull back and release into the buck's head. 

Charles whistled low. "That was a mighty fine shot. I took Arthur out a few days ago and _he_ couldn't even do that well. I should have let him just use his pistol. That's the only thing he is good at." They both laughed lightly. Charles walked over the beast and admired it. Clara was shown how to properly skin an animal without ruining the coat. Clara threw the deer skin onto her horse as Charles put the carcass on his. 

"You did well Miss Clara." Clara smiled at him and mounted her horse. Charles did the same and they rode off back to camp. 

"You can call me just Clara. I feel as if I should be a school teacher."

"And I imagine you do not want to be a teacher?"

"Oh no. I couldn't do it." Clara paused for a bit. Arthur's horse, Adagio, cantered through the melting snow and wet mud. Adagio was a good horse. She was calm and very gentle for her size and age of 2. As the camp came closer into view, she whinnied and began to pick up a pace. Arthur was standing near Person's cabin as the two rode into camp. He turned towards the both of them and smiled.

"Successful?" He asked. Charles laughed lightly.

"She can shoot better than you can. Probably can do it better than you in her sleep." This earned a laugh from Arthur. 

"I wouldn't doubt it." Arthur walked over to his horse and offered his hand. Clara reached over for it, but instead slightly missed and tumbled to the ground. Before she hit the ground, Arthur caught her by her hip and one arm around her back. His breath hit the side of her neck and tickled her. 

Clara chuckled to herself. "I guess all that praise went to my head then Charles." Both men smiled and chuckled. She thanked Arthur as she gathered her posture.

After hitching up Adagio, Clara decided it was time for a bath. It had been a few days since she had one and now she reeked of blood as well. 

Filling the bath took a while, considering the two people had to warm up the water over a fire. Clara did all this with the help of Tilly. Once Tilly was gone, Clara stripped herself of her clothes and settled into the almost too hot water. Her muscles relaxed as she lay back. The lacerations on her back were now just scars trying to heal. Luckily, none of them were large, there were just about seven small ones towards the top and middle of her back. One did reach over her shoulder to her collar bone. Her fingers would run along it when she would be thinking deeply. 

A bar of soap was provided for everyone to use, but she preferred to use a wash rag as well. Before she started to wash herself, she heard footsteps coming closer to the cabin. Clara sunk a little deeper into the water as she waited for them to hopefully walk by. The footsteps became lighter as they reached the door, but they stopped there. The sound of clothes moving came from behind the door and then a small knock. 

"Yes?" Clara called out. 

The person cleared their throat, and by that she could tell it was Arthur. "It's Arthur." There was some hesitation before, "I don't mean to be in your privacy, but this-I need to talk to you about something...important." 

A few hairs fell in front of her face as she still hadn't gotten all of her hair wet. She pushed them back before answering, "Come in." 

Arthur took a few seconds before opening the door and stepping inside. Cold air rushed in and caused Clara to shiver. Arthur shut the door behind him as he looked for a place to sit. There weren't any chairs in the cabin, so he chose to lean against the wall. His hat covered his eyes as he looked down at the ground to avoid looking at Clara. 

"There was something you wanted to talk about?" Even after the two weeks they have been in the same cabin, Arthur felt shy around her. Clara never showed any sign of shyness, but it was apart of her personality. Nothing could ever really make her blush or stumble over for words. Big ol' tough Arthur cleared his throat once again before looking up into her eyes. Clara had a soft smile on her face as she looked up at him.

"Yes, Dutch is wanting to move to a different location. The snow has been melting fairly quickly and the O'Driscolls are going to be after us soon. The reason I am telling you this is because some people of the camp believe that you might not actually hold important information of the O'Driscolls and you might be spying for them." 

"So, just Micah?"

Arthur smirked, but continued. "Dutch was wanting just a little bit of information out of your before we leave." 

Clara picked up the wash rag that was hanging over the bathtub. The rag was rough, but it cleaned all the dirt, sweat, and blood off of her. Arthur sat there as she thought.

"I told him a few days ago all I know. If I were him, I would be heading out of this place quickly. 

The water had turned a brown color after she was finished. She rung the rag out and set it back on the tub. Clara thought she had grabbed the shampoo, but it was not around her. Arthur saw her confusion and pushed himself off the wall. He bent down to grab the shampoo and walked it over to her. Arthur made no eye contact until he was back against the wall. 

"Thank you, Arthur." 

"Do you think Colm will be there personally? At one of the hideouts?"

"I'm not sure. I know he wants me dead, so he just might be." 

Arthur nodded at that. "One last thing. Clara, I am going to warn you that Micah is going to be quite furious with you coming along with us. I wouldn't be here interrupting your bath if it wasn't urgent. Micah is probably just learning of this, so I am going to buy you some time to finish. When you are decent, head back to my cabin. Hopefully Micah and a few others will be gone to look out for a new camp."

"Thank you Arthur. I've been having trouble adjusting to everything here and Micah doesn't make it easier." Clara smiled at him. Arthur nodded and pushed himself off the wall. He tipped his hat towards Clara and left the cabin. 

Clara finished washing herself and then dressed herself. The clean clothes felt good against her clean skin. The shirt was soft and the skirt was thick and warm. Arthur had given her a jacket of his to wear throughout the winter months. It didn't let the wind rip through her as she walked to Arthur's cabin. Clara had wondered whatever they were going to with her as she packed up Arthur's items and went to help the others. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My personal tumblr: taika-akagod-waititi  
> Red Dead Tumblr: reddeadrawme


	3. Beaten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur goes into Valentine and comes back beat up.
> 
> Also, attempted rape.

The new camp was taking a while to set up as everyone was tired from the long trip through melting snow and the mountains. The warm weather cheered everyone up to get everyone chatty, but Clara mostly stayed to herself. If someone was needing help, she would help out, but she really only talked to Tilly, Abigail, Charles and Arthur. Everyone else would give a nod, good mornin', or a warm smile. Except Micah. 

The kid they caught running off from a fight with O'Driscolls was tied up to a tree near camp. If you got close enough, you could hear him whimper or curse himself. Clara felt bad for him because she couldn't remember seeing him at any of the places she was kept. 

Now that most tents were set up, except Dutch's because it took so long, so Clara went over to Charles to see if he wanted to go hunting. Arthur, Dutch, and a few others had gone into town to scope out the newest town near by, but Charles opted to stay behind. Pearson needed meat since they had used the last of it that afternoon for lunch. Clara walked over to Charles' tent. 

"Hey Charles, do you want to go hunting for Pearson? He's kind of desperate and also mentioned if we were feeling lazy to just head into town to the butcher. " 

"Sure, Clara." Charles stood up to grab his bow and arrows that were leaning against a crate. "So, Clara?" He hesitated and waited for her turn back around to look at him. "Where will you be sleeping at this camp? Seems as if you Arthur got along great at that cabin. Which I am quite interested how you stood to be with him. He is a horrible person to try and share a small space with."

"Oh, I haven't really thought about that. I must just ask him if I could stay with him." Clara started to walk over to Adagio before realizing she wasn't there. "He was good company to talk to. I quite like him for who he is." Clara turned to Charles and before she could ask him he said, "Yes you can ride with me. I am tempted to make you walk to hear you complain, but I don't know you well enough to pick on you that much."

"Oh how rude Charles. You would make a lady that has been so kind to you and has helped you better your shot with your gun walk? Tsk. Damn shame Charles." Clara smiled at him as she approached his horse. Charles offered her a hand and swung her onto his horse. Charles was turned his head to look at her, but then stopped as if he was about to say something. Clara listened as well for she could hear several horses on their way back to camp. 

"Doesn't sound good." Charles mumbled. A few horses came into view with Dutch and Micah on their backs. Dutch looked irritated as she dismounted his horse and hitched it on a post. Arthur then came into view, slowly trudging up the hill with a bloody nose and a few gashes on his forehead and cheek. 

"Doesn't look good either." Clara stated. "I guess it would be best if we stayed here if they caused so much trouble." Charles agreed as he let her down from his horse. Arthur had just gotten off of his as Clara walked towards him. 

"You know, if you use your forearm to block, you wouldn't be so beaten up." Arthur finished hitching his horse and turned towards Clara. It looked even worse now that she was closer. 

"Ah, some dumbass decided to throw me out a window. No big deal to fuss about." A few pieces of mud fell of off his jacket as he started to walk to his tent. 

"Seems as if you went mud rolling as well." Clara smiled and beckoned him towards his cot. "Let me help you clean up." 

Clara let Arthur sit down as she went and grabbed a pail of water and a softer rag. The pail lay at her feet as she wrung the rag out and brought it up to Arthur's face. His head was tilted up at hers as she slowly she dabbed and rubbed the blood and dirt off. Clara got a good look at how handsome he really was. He looked older than she, but she imagined that he ages faster because of his job. More features came out of hiding as she washed. The rag would only hold so much before she had to wring it out to start clean again. As she stood for the third time from washing the rag out, Clara worked around his eyes. They caught her attention with how blue they were. Clara didn't realized she had stopped to stare at him until he cleared his throat.

"Sorry, Arthur. Just missing the sea by looking in your eyes."

"You never said anything about living by the sea." Clara had finished washing him up, so she threw the rag into the water and put her hands on her hips.

"I know. It wasn't important at the moment, but I miss it. The sea puts a spell on you. Morning's are quiet, nights are chilly, and days are filled with sand between your toes."

"Sounds like a great time." Arthur looked down at his feet and kicked up some grass. Clara thought he looked like a shy schoolboy from where she was.

"Now, you better to wash up. I suggest going back into town to clean yourself up and then go apologize to the bar keep." 

"Yes ma'am." Arthur stood up and started to walk away, but turned back towards her. "Would you like anything from town while I am there?"

Clara was a little surprised at this, but she didn't show any emotion of it. "Why sure, I would like my own horse," Clara chuckled a little and continued, "I would like some new clothes, but I will do that another time. Thank you for the offer though Arthur." Arthur tipped his hat towards her and she laughed quietly as more mud fell off the hat and into his face. Arthur spat the mud onto the ground before continuing to his horse. 

* * *

Arthur could not get that damn woman out of his head. When she was staring into his eyes, he had lost himself as well. He only cleared his throat because his 'trust worthy' friend hasn't seen much sun, so he was getting a little rowdy. Gladly she had almost been finished so he wouldn't have to smell her rousing perfume that filled his lungs. 

When she had mentioned that she needed a new horse, that popped a thought into his head. He had enough money to get some new clothes and a new horse if he wanted to. The mud was falling off really badly as he rode towards Valentine. Luckily the sun was down, so not many people were out and about. The hotel owner was happy to give him a bath and a room for the night. Arthur thought that since Clara got him all worked up, he would need some time for himself. The bath soothed his muscles from the traveling and the fight, but became cold after being in there for an hour. Arthur loved feeling clean and refreshed. He wished he could stay cleaner longer, but with this life, it was impossible. 

A room was ready for him when he walked out of the bath. The room was small, but it was more room than what he had at camp. His hat was set on the near by desk, his clothes were set neatly on the chair and his boots were set at the end of the bed. All that was left was his red union suit. The bed was lumpy, but Arthur preferred it for one less night on a cot. His hands were clasped behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. Those damn eyes and her soft but sturdy frame lingered around in Arthur's head. 

"Damn woman." Arthur huffed and then stripped himself of his union suit. 

* * *

Clara wandered around camp after she shooed Arthur off to Valentine to get cleaned up. She helped Pearson clean up any dishes and prepare for the next day. Pearson was grateful for Clara because she was the only one who would come around and help him without being asked. Hardly any words would come out, so the silence was peaceful, unless it was to joke with him. Clara always had good comebacks for his jabbing at her, which even Dutch admired her for that. It always got a good laugh going. 

Pearson always kept an eye out for the drunks wandering around camp, but tonight it was just Micah and Uncle. They were trying to play poker, but they couldn't remember what cards they had. It ended up in chaos and someone had pulled out a knife. 

"Hey, you two stop threatening each other and go the fuck to sleep." Pearson yelled at them and grabbed the knife from Micah's hand. Micah grumbled and stumbled towards his tent. Uncle was still sitting at the table, attempting to get up, but every time he did, he fell back into his seat. Pearson cursed whoever gave birth to him and grabbed his arm and helped him walk to his tent. He did bother to tuck him in, he just threw him onto the ground and walked back to his area. 

"Aren't you a pretty little thing? I think I should put you to work tonight." Micah's rough voice came from behind the carriage. Pearson picked up his pace and grabbed a ladle form a table. 

"You leave her alone mister! She did nothing to ya." Kieran's voice came from the tree he was tied up at. 

"Oh you piece of shit O'Driscoll. Shut the hell up." A grunt came from Kieran. "Now Missy, where were we? Can't fight your way out this now can you? Huh? What happened to that tough girl act?" Pearson rounded the carriage to see Clara being held against it and her skirt lifted up. Micah's hand couldn't been seen underneath her skirt, with his hips against hers which forced her to stay still, as his other was tightly wrapped around her throat. Clara was gasping for breath as she tried to fight him off, but she couldn't do so well without air. Kieran was trying to get out of his restraints, but nothing budged. A bowl was at his feet, which Pearson guessed was what made him grunt earlier. 

"Micah, you piece of shit, get off of her." Pearson yelled at him and lifted the ladle above his head. Micah turned his head towards Pearson and pulled his hand out from under her skirt. Clara's hands were trying to pull his grip off of her neck, but he wouldn't budge. Micah turned towards her and ran his hand along her side and down her front. 

"Oh I was just having some fun there. Clara is a mighty fine woman, so I think we should be sharing." Pearson took a few steps closer and was ready to hit him across the head before Arthur came around the corner with Dutch. 

"Micah, no one is sharing around here, and you would be dead before you got to her." Arthur growled out at Micah. He passed Pearson (who as soon as Micah was out of the way, he went to Clara to soothe her), grabbed him with both hands on his shoulders and threw him to the ground. Arthur climbed over his scrawny frame to use one hand as leverage on Micah's shoulder and the other to beat his face with. Arthur got about five good hits in before Dutch dragged him off of Micah. It wasn't easy for Dutch because Arthur pushed Dutch away to get back at him, but Dutch shoved him back by stepping in front of him. 

"Now Arthur, you don't need to be causing any more trouble around here. We have just settled down and everyone needs a break." Dutch put his hands on Arthur's chest and slowly pushed him away from Micah. "Get yourself together for a moment." 

"Get myself together, Dutch? What about dog shit over here? He's useless in the camp and causes trouble all the damn time. Now he's touching women who don't want to be touched." If the camp was groggy from waking up from the yelling, they were well awake now. 

Dutch looked at Pearson and Clara. "Pearson, help her back to her tent and get Charles over here." Pearson muttered a 'yes sir' and continued helping Clara up. Pearson helped her walk past the carriage before Charles came running over. Pearson told him to go help Dutch and asked the rest of the camp to back off for a moment. Abigail ran over to Clara, took her into her arms and shooed Pearson away while thanking him. 

When Charles arrived, Dutch was struggling to get Arthur to calm down. Charles grunted annoyingly before grabbing Arthur by the shoulders and slamming him against the carriage. This made it rock a little dangerously, but Charles didn't care. One hand was on his chest and the other was ready to punch if he made any stupid moves. Arthur finally looked at him.

"Arthur, calm the fuck down."

"I am calm!" he yelled as he tried to push Charles off of him. Charles pushed back as Dutch went over to Micah.

"Get up, you piece of shit." Micah looked at Dutch and then back to Arthur before smirking. He stumbled while trying to get up, which took a few tries, before he was standing in front of Dutch, still smiling. 

"Arthur, is that a way to treat a friend?" 

Arthur growled and pushed harder against Charles. "I'm going to kill you, Micah."

"Not if I get to her-" A hard fist, with a few rings connected to it, collided with his face. Micah stumbled back to hit his ass on the ground again. "Dutch, I-"

"There is to be no more coming out of your mouth. If I see you anywhere near her, I'll turn my back as Arthur buries you six feet below this camp." Dutch walked closer to him and grabbed his collar. "She may be new, but she's apart of this camp just as much as everyone else." Micah nodded.

Dutch turned to Arthur and Charles, which were both now standing side to side looking at him. Arthur looked angry, but more calm. Charles kept one hand in front of Arthur to make sure he wouldn't charge. By the looks of it, Charles wasn't too happy about this either. 

"Arthur, go check on Clara. Charles, make sure Micah doesn't cause anymore trouble tonight." Charles nodded and Dutch ushered Arthur towards his tent. 

Clara was sitting on his cot with Abigail next to her. A blanket had been wrapped around her as Abigail talked in a soothing voice to her.

"I'm okay, really Abigail." Clara looked at Abigail. She murmured something about it not being the first time anything had happened like that. Arthur neared his cot and cleared his throat so he wouldn't startle them too much. Abigail looked up as he got closer and then turned to Clara.

"Let Arthur stay with you tonight. He'll be good company." One last hug was set between them before Abigail got up to leave. As she passed Arthur, she said, "She doesn't act like she's shaken up, but on the inside, she is. Be gentle with her Arthur." A hand was placed on his arm with a light squeeze before she went to her own tent. Arthur approached Clara on the cot and put both knees on the ground before her. He grabbed her hands and put them in his. 

"I'm sorry this happened to you."

Clara smiled gently at him. "Well you weren't the one doing now where you?" Arthur slowly shook his head. "Then you have no reason to be sorry." He took his hands back and set them in his own lap.

"The damn rat needs to rot in hell."

"Hell might be like home to him. Might as well as send him off to heaven."

Arthur chuckled. "Ain't no grey clouds around you now."

Clara turned her head to look out at the camp. Everyone was settling back in, except Charles as he kept an eye out of Micah, to go to sleep once more. Charles looked up and over at Clara and Arthur to nod his head at her. Clara smiled back at him, but didn't look back at Arthur. She couldn't do it just yet.

"After the first few times, you have to find your own place inside your head and stay there for a while." Arthur moved so he was squatting on his feet while playing with the grass underneath him. 

"May I ask what they did to you?" Arthur looked at her as she stared off at the camp fire. One of his hands went to rest on her knee as a comfort for her.

"They would always take me back to their tents. It was never sex, just touching under my skirt or I would have to touch them - with my mouth. I was always so tempted to bit their dicks off, but when you have a pistol pointed at you, it is kind of hard to get away with it." Clara still wouldn't look at him, even as he stood to cover the sides of his area with blankets. He thought she would need some privacy as she slept. When he was finished, he turned back to her and sat next to the bed with his back against a crate. 

"I'll stay here with you tonight." Clara looked him in the eye and smiled. 

"Thank you Arthur. Are you sure yo-" 

"No, please. Take my bed." 

Clara was still smiling, but then it started to falter as tears filled her eyes and fell down her face. She put her hands on her face to hid her pain. Arthur stood up to get next to her on the cot. One arm was around her as the other ran through her hair. 

"It'll be okay Clara. I'll be here for you." 

Soft cries carried throughout the camp that night. Arthur's voice did as well. Charles' heart ached for the woman and the pain Micah caused. Abigail started to tear up as Jack lay next to her. John heard her sniffling and joined the two of them on the small blanket. 

"She'll be okay, Abigail. You're okay." He ran a hand through her hair as she cried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My personal tumblr: taika-akagod-waititi  
> Red Dead Tumblr: reddeadrawme


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *****Party*******

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that the events might be different or out of order a little, but I just want this story to resemble RDR2 just enough. 
> 
> Narrow back- This Irish nickname applied to the children of Irish immigrants who, reportedly, weren’t as dedicated and hardworking as their long-suffering parents.
> 
> There is a hint of Sean/Karen relationship. I think they would go well together.

When Clara woke from her deep and long slumber, she was sweating under the blanket that covered her. Clara stretched from her position on the cot until her hands touched a crate. She slipped the blanket off slowly and set her socked feet on the grass. Arthur was no longer next to her resting and that gave Clara some anxiety. Going out to face the camp wasn't something she wanted to do at the moment. She felt almost ashamed to see their faces because they now know what she had to deal with at the O'Driscolls camp. 

The sun peaked through the blanket, but it wasn't high enough to cause her to squint. A soft wind blew the blanket a little towards her and then back down again. She could hear little Jack talking to Abigail about going fishing and getting a new book. Clara opened the blanket to see where Jack was. He was sitting on a chair eating some soup while Abigail was staring off. 

"I lost my book, mamma. I miss reading it."

"Would like a new book, Jack?" Clara asked as she got closer to the two of them. Abigail looked over at her and smiled as Jack shyly smiled as well. 

"I sure would, but I don't know where to get one."

Clara sat down next to Jack at the table. "Well, we could go into town and buy one for you." This put a big smile on his face. 

"I have money saved up for one! I could maybe get two!" Jack jumped down off the chair and ran towards his tent. Abigail set a hand on Clara's.

"Thank you for that. He's been so bored here." She reached into her pocket and put money in her palm. There was enough to buy 100 books. "I will go with you and I've been wanting to go, but this camp has been so busy. And take this to get some new clothes for you."

"Oh, no you don't have to do that."

"It's not my money. Dutch gave it to me for you before they left this morning. There was something going on with that O'Driscoll boy and going on about Colm." 

Clara nodded and didn't ask anymore questions. She opened her mouth to speak, but Abigail interrupted her. 

"Micah went with them. Dutch thought it would be for the best so you could have some space this morning." She paused as Jack came running back. He took the handful of change and set it on the table. 

"I'm ready, Miss Clara!" He had a big smile on his face and one of his toys in his left hand. This warmed Clara's heart that she could make a difference his day just to go get a few books.

* * *

The trip to Valentine was quite relaxing with Jack, Abigail, and Sadie. Sadie needed to get out of the camp before she hit Pearson across the head with a pot. The four of them enjoyed the sun on their faces, a light breeze passing by, and to be able to talk together without Uncle or Bill to offer their unwanted opinion.

Once they had gotten to Valentine, they stopped by the General Store to get the books for Jack while Clara and Sadie chose some new outfits. Clara and Sadie weren't much of the skirt wearing kind, so they bought pants and blouses for themselves. Sadie decided to go ahead and put hers on, so Clara followed suit. The feeling of being in something much more comfortable was calming to her. The skirt wasn't annoying to wear, but it wasn't pants. Abigail clapped for them when they walked out to the carriage. Jack was deep into his book, but looked up at them and smiled.

"You look lovely!" Abigail smiled at them. "And you look more comfortable."

"I was getting tired of those skirts. I wanted my old pants back." Sadie said as she stepped up into the carriage. Clara was looking down at the money she had. There was enough for a decent riding horse so Adagio could have a break. 

"You coming Clara?" Sadie looked down at her. 

"No, I think I'm going to buy me a horse." Sadie turned to Abigail and they both shrugged their shoulders.

"Do you want either of us to go with you?"

"No, I think I'll be fine. I know what I'll be looking for, so I shouldn't be too long." 

"Alright then. Be careful Clara." Sadie tipped her new hat at her and got the horses going. Clara watched them leave before she started towards the stables. A few men gave her looks, but the women acted like it didn't bother them. It was more of a jealous/envious look they gave her. Their husbands most likely forbade them from wearing any such thing as she was. Pants were for men to wear, not women. Clara missed being able to ride a horse properly and she could pack her revolvers with her easier. Skirts got in the way of holding them. 

When Clara got near the stable, she saw a familiar figure standing outside talking with a stable hand. 

"Arthur?" Clara asked as she drew closer to the two. Arthur turned around slowly, one hand on his revolver. As he faced her, his body relaxed as he slapped some money into the stable hands' hand. His mouth hung open just the slightest as he (Clara could see this because of his hat) looked her up and down. 

"What are you doing in town?"

"I was with Jack, Sadie and Abigail. We were shopping for some new clothes. I decided to come and get me a new horse." Clara was now in front of him. Arthur had his hands on his belt and he looked up at her, finally. "What are you doing here?"

"Well I-" A stable hand walked out of the stable with an American Standardbred. The horse was black all over and was quite beautiful. 

"Here you go Mister." The stable hand reached out to give Arthur the reins, but he stepped aside. He let one arm fall open to let her walk past.

"Clara, meet your new horse." 

Clara looked at Arthur, then at the horse. Her face was all smiles when she grabbed the reins. A thank you was thrown at the stable hand before she ran a hand along the beast. The horse moved her head so she could sniff Clara as she pat her neck.

"She's beautiful, Arthur." Clara ran her hands down her back. The horse shivered and threw her head in the air to whinny. 

"I think you found a spot she likes." 

Clara turned towards Arthur. "I don't know what to say Arthur. All I can really say is thank you." 

"Oh, it's not big deal. You can't live a good life without a decent horse." 

"Ain't that the truth. Now, shall we head back to camp?" 

Arthur nodded and walked closer to Clara. "I'll help you up since all the saddles are back at camp." He went behind her to set his hands on her hips. A slight shiver, that he didn't notice, went down her back. His breath was on her neck as he said, "On the count of three. One..." Arthur heaved her up so she could wrap her legs around the horse. She grabbed onto the mane to steady herself once she was up. 

"Where did you learn to count Mr. Morgan?" 

Arthur was chuckling as he grabbed his horse. "Hosea did. You might want to ask him where he got his skills."

"Well, all right Arthur." Clara waited for Arthur to mount his horse before they rode out to camp. 

* * *

Days at camp were mostly quiet except the occasional argument over getting the last of the stew. Everyone got one helping, but Uncle or Bill would always try to grab another. Karen had tried to beat them with the ladle, Dutch just had to glare at them, Tilly yelled at them for being selfish pricks, and once they both tried to sneak at the same time, which ended in a fist fight. Clara didn't bother to try and intervene because she knew that she would get a fist in the face. Dutch and Arthur had to break that one up. Later on, Dutch grumbled on about having immature adults in camp. 

Javier and Trelawney were out in Blackwater looking for some Irish man named Sean. Arthur grumbled on about not saving his red ass because camp was a lot quieter without him, but he wouldn't let that happen. Arthur and Charles had left early morning to go meet Javier and Josiah, which it was now time for the sun to settle down. Clara had gone hunting with Kieran that day to catch something for the camp to eat. Each had shot a deer, Clara had gotten two rabbits and a turkey. Kieran had gotten 3 rabbits and two squirrels. Clara grumbled on the way back about Kieran cheating because he kept making noise whenever she was trying to aim.

Kieran had finally settled in a little bit with the help of Clara (who was still using Arthur's cot while he slept on the ground). He got his own tent that was next to Javier's. The poor man was scared to death because Javier would probably try to kill him when he got back. Which he was scared out of his tent when Javier saw him sitting on his blanket. Sean harassed Javier for acting in such a way before grabbing a drink to celebrate. Arthur returned as well with a smile on his face. 

"I guess it was a success?" Clara asked as she joined him by the fire. Everyone was singing along and had a drink in their hand. 

"Sadly it was. At least someone will be able to cheer us up a little and Karen can stop being such a sour puss." Arthur said the last part a little louder.

"Hey, just because my fuck buddy is back doesn't mean you get to be all jealous about it. You have a woman in your tent, do something about it." Karen said back before raising her glass to Clara. Clara laughed so hard she grabbed her stomach in pain. Arthur at first was confused by her laughter, but soon joined her fit. 

In between laughs Clara said, "He may have a woman in his tent, but at least he doesn't have a narrow back in his."

This earned a huge uproar of laughter, confusion, and other comments. Karen tipped her glass once again to Clara and yelled over the noise, "You got me there."

Arthur was chuckling while one hand held his whiskey and the other was crossed over his chest. Clara looked up at him and smirked as she pat his shoulder. Her hand had lingered there for a little before she downed her whiskey and called it a night. Hunting had worn her out pretty well. The noise died down as she got closer to Arthur's tent. Clara looked back once more at the cheerfulness of the camp. Javier was playing his guitar, Sean was trying to dance as well as Bill and Uncle, Abigail was leaning against Tilly as Jack sat in her lap, John stood a little ways back with a whiskey in his hand; smiling, Micah wasn't anywhere to be seen; as well as Lenny, Charles was sitting by Javier enjoying the music and company, Dutch was standing outside his tent with Molly beside him, and Arthur was still where she had left him. Kieran was at his tent as he slowly drank a beer that he had somehow gotten without anyone teasing him. 

Clara opened the tent up as she walked in to let it fall behind her. Her boots were removed and put at the end of the bed along with her belt. She had made the mistake a few years ago to sleep with a belt on. It was very uncomfortable and gave her odd marks on her skin when had gotten up the next morning. Clara grabbed the blanket at the end of the cot and lay down to cover herself. There was still commotion about the camp, so sleep took a while to take her.

Before it did, Arthur stumbled into his tent quietly as possible. Well, from his perspective, he was, but Clara could hear him come in. Arthur took one look at her and sighed. He mumbled to himself as he lay down two blankets to sleep on.

"Damn people. _You have a woman in your tent, do something about it._ Goddammit, I am trying. I just ain't got the right sized balls when she has bigger balls than I do." Arthur huffed and almost threw himself into the ground in frustration. He didn't sleep too well that night. 


End file.
